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Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus FE-5020 Comparison

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Nikon 1 J4

18 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon 1 J4
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Olympus FE-5020

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

Olympus FE-5020
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus FE-5020 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon 1 J4, which was introduced in April 2014 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 18.0MP 1" sensor whereas Olympus FE-5020, which was introduced in July 2009 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3" sensor. As you can see, FE-5020 is 5 years older than 1 J4. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-04-10
  • 18MP - 1" CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • Nikon 1 Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 60 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 1,200 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 232g. 100 x 60 x 29 mm
  • Replaced Nikon 1 J3 Compare

Olympus FE-5020 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-07-22
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" CCD Sensor
  • ISO 64 - 1600
  • 24-120 mm F3.3-5.8 Zoom Lens
  • 2.7" Fixed Type Screen
  • continuous shooting
  • - 640 x 480 video resolution
  • 137g. 93 x 56 x 25 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Also known as X-935

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Olympus FE-5020
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 12 MP 50% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 1.600 700% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.7" 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 230k dots 350% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/500s faster mechanical shutter
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Flash Coverage
5.0m vs 4.1m 0.9m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
6.36µm2 vs 2.38µm2 167% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 640 x 480 Higher Resolution Video


Reasons to choose Olympus FE-5020 over Nikon 1 J4
Weight
137 g vs 232 g 95 g lighter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.7" Small display
AE Bracketing
No vs No Not good for multi-exposure HDR
New5
New4
Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus FE-5020: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon 1 J4 has external dimensions of 100 x 60 x 29 mm (3.92 x 2.36 x 1.12″) and weighs 232 g (0.51 lb / 8.18 oz) (including batteries). Olympus FE-5020 has external dimensions of 93 x 56 x 25 mm (3.66 x 2.2 x 0.98″) and weighs 137 g (0.30 lb / 4.83 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020. Olympus FE-5020 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 7mm narrower, 4mm shorter and 4mm thinner than Nikon 1 J4. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Olympus FE-5020 has a built-in lens but Nikon 1 J4 doesn't. Once you put a lens on 1 J4, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus FE-5020 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus FE-5020 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus FE-5020 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus FE-5020 is significantly lighter (95g ) than the Nikon 1 J4 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on 1 J4, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of FE-5020, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to 1 J4.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon 1 J4's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Olympus FE-5020's 2.7" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus FE-5020: Sensor Comparison

Nikon 1 J4 has a 18.0MP 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 4 processor. On the other hand, Olympus FE-5020 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features TruePic III processor.

Nikon 1 J4's sensor provides 6MP more than Olympus FE-5020's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the 1 J4 and FE-5020 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus FE-5020 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon 1 J4 has a 4.1x Larger sensor area than Olympus FE-5020. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon 1 J4 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Olympus FE-5020 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus FE-5020 for Street Photography

POOR
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details
Small Body
Live-view
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Olympus FE-5020 for Sports Photography

POOR
Fast Continuous Shooting: 60.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
105 Cross Type Focus sensors
171 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Environmental Sealings
120 mm Tele Lens
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/500s
Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus FE-5020 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details
Compact Body
137g
Environmental Sealings
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus FE-5020 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Environmental Sealings
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus FE-5020: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus FE-5020 scores compare:

Nikon 1 J4
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #70 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #327 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Olympus FE-5020
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #457 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1177 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J4 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Olympus FE-5020 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Nikon 1 J4.

Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Olympus FE-5020
Olympus FE-5020
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Olympus FE-5020 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Olympus FE-5020
Brand Nikon Olympus
Announced 2014-04-10 2009-07-22
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor
Type CMOS CCD
Size 1" 1/2.3"
Dimensions 13.2 x 8.8 mm 6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area 116.16mm2 28.07mm2
Megapixels 18 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 5232 x 3488 3968 x 2976
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 1,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 64 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 171 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon 1 fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 24-120 mm (5×)
Max Aperture no lens F3.3-5.8
Macro Focus Range no lens 1cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 2.7"
Resolution 1,037k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/500s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.00 m (ISO 100) 4.10 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 60.0 fps n/a
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 640 x 480
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 232g 137g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 93 x 56 x 25mm
Battery Life 300 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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